THE FASTBACKS - Better Than Sthrempf Cocktail (1959-1981 pt. 1)
Much has been written about Seattle's Fastbacks throughout their almost 20 year history. Most articles tend to focus on recent events surrounding the band, while only briefly skimming the surface behind their origins and early history. It is a fascinating journalistic challenge to understand their personal dynamics, and how these interactions played a vital part in defining their storied career. This means going beyond describing Kurt Bloch's talent for playing guitar solos while jumping up and down, or how the slightly out of tune vocals of Kim Warnick and Lulu Gargiulo are 'endearing' or 'charming' (or, god forbid, how they've averaged a different drummer every 1.5 years). My holistic conclusion is that these are 3 people who created and comprise an extremely dysfunctional family, but who refuse to give up or bow down to conventional musical trends. In the end, it's a story about 3 people who genuinely love rock music so much, that fame, fortune and musical proficiency have always taken a back seat to creating quality music.
[I would like to thank the Fastbacks for their cooperation in the research for this article. My information was culled from 6 separate interview sessions I did with Kurt, Kim, and Lulu on a one-on-one basis. If you are not familiar with the Fastbacks, this article may read a little like a history lesson or a story. I hope it can be entertaining, and maybe spark a new interest in this incredible band. For those of you familiar with the Fastbacks, I intend to place their body of work in a whole new context, maybe to achieve a better understanding of The Fastbacks as a family, not just as a band or recording. At very least, I hope this is information that is funny and enjoyable to all readers.]
KURT THOMAS BLOCH - Born in Seattle, 8/28/60
The son of a Boeing engineer, Kurt grew up the oldest son of 4 kids (1 older sister, 2 younger brothers). His mother, Lila, was a very social and amicable mom, akin to a big friendly German grandmother; super friendly, but also a bit off-kilter. Kurt's father, while not quite the antithesis of his mother, was a very private man. According to Lulu, Joseph Bloch was a genius and an inventor. Unfortunately, he also espoused intimidation through a lack of social grace.
Kurt Bloch has always been a fan of music. His first instrument was the violin, which he picked up in the fourth grade. Due to various factors that retarded his musical progress, he never got very good at the instrument. Around the same time he also took piano lessons, but his elementary school had neither band nor orchestra, so there was no incentive or excuse for him to practice or get good. At one point, he even tried his hand at saxophone, but was discouraged by a mean neighbor who worked the night shift. One afternoon when she was trying to get some sleep, she banged on Kurt's front door and told him that his sax playing sounded 'horrible'. Nonetheless, Kurt loved music so much that he continued to take piano lessons into junior high school. His junior high school piano instructor used to encourage students to bring in pieces of popular music to learn. Taking her up on this offer, Kurt brought in Deep Purple's Made In Japan, and proceeded to learn a piano version of Smoke on the Water.
As a freshman in high school, Kurt's first exposure to the guitar was in the form of a folk guitar class at Nathan Hale High School. He borrowed his sister's acoustic guitar and would bring it to school every day. At this point in his life, Kurt was listening to a lot of hard rock and art rock. Bands such as Deep Purple, Queen, King Crimson, AC/DC, UFO, Judas Priest, the Scorpions and Blue Oyster Cult were/became staples of his musical diet, and he would devour their records with reverence. Previous to the hard rock explosion of the early 70's, Kurt loved 60's pop music, and it was not uncommon for him to spend ALL of his lunch money and allowance on records (keep in mind that this was 1974, a few years before punk rock was even introduced). These myriad of influences, along with punk later on, forged the crux of his approach to music, and invariably shaped the huge sonic canvas he would create.
During Christmas of 1974, Kurt got his first electric guitar, a black "Pan" brand SG copy. His first amp was soon given to him by his father. It was an impressive looking transistor amp which Kurt promptly blew out the first time he fired it up. He recalls always having a passion for practicing and working on guitars. His second guitar was a Univox ES-335 copy. Kurt would eventually remove the pick-ups from this guitar and install them into his Pan SG with a hammer and chisel. But his first 'good' guitar purchase was a '67 Gibson SG Special in 1980, which he purchased for $265 with money he made from working at local Seattle record stores. According to Kurt, "well worth the money" (this guitar is pictured on the first Fastbacks single). Since then, he has amassed a huge collection of vintage guitars somewhere in the neighborhood or 30 or 40+.
Kurt loved punk rock from the start. The first punk songs he ever heard were "Neat Neat Neat" by the Damned and "I Wanna Be Me" by the Sex Pistols (b-side of the Anarchy In the UK single). "Punk was all we could ask for in music: Loud. Fast. Just pounding idiotic music. Super kick-ass. Great. Cool." For the first few years that Kurt played electric guitar he was mostly discouraged by the sophistication of the guitar players he admired. Axe slingers like Robert Fripp, Brian May, and Ritchie Blackmore seemed so out of reach for him, both in terms of being able to play what they were playing, as well as being able to get the same kind of sound our of his guitar and amp. Punk, however, was so simple that it
encouraged Kurt to become a better guitarist. Not only was it easier to figure out "Do the Robot" by the Saints than "Fracture" by King Crimson, but the power of the music really captivated him. Punk rock was the ultimate in music that was harder, faster, and louder than anything else.
According to Kurt, the Ramones were "unbelievable." Much of Kurt's proficiency with the guitar was learned through playing along with "It's Alive". For Kurt, this record and "In Color" by Cheap Trick were just great albums to play along with. Their common strength was that they had one great song after another (In Color was the best record for him to 'tune' his guitar to, since the opening track just starts with an A chord and nothing else). It was never a matter of being able to play rhythm or lead guitar, because for Kurt the two were inseparable. It was always just about playing guitar and having fun. Punk rock opened up the doors for him to become a better guitarist, and subsequently he was able to apply these learnings to understanding and deciphering the more 'sophisticated' music of his childhood. This amalgamation of guitar genres would ultimately define his lead and rhythm styles, as evidenced by such epics as "Better Than Before" and "Banner Year", as well as the straightforward punk bliss of "I'm Cold" and "Gone To the Moon".
KIMBERLY ANN WARNICK - Born in Seattle, 4/7/59
By all accounts, Kim was a spoiled only child for the first 12 years of her life. Her parents were classic examples of the post-war generation. They used to throw block martini parties at their house most nights of the week. Kim's father, John, was a banker. Her mother, Marge, was the classic TV homemaker in the mold of June Cleaver, except for the fact that she stocked the Warnick household with every imaginable form of junk food invented. Lulu remembers going over to their house during the summers to go swimming, and how Kim's mom would allow them to eat anything, anytime. Kim's brother, Kyle, was named after a boy that she had a crush on in the 5th grade (someone she would chase around the classroom in an attempt to remove his glasses).
Growing up, Kim was somewhat of a reckless attention seeker. Being an only child until her teens, she was used to getting her way and being the center of attention. She has some GREAT stories from her childhood. As far as her musical development is concerned, her first influences were artists who had TV shows, such as Bobby Sherman, the Monkeys and David Cassidy. Later on she became an avid fan of more kick-ass rock (Queen, AC/DC and Blue Oyster Cult), along with other forms of pop and glam music (the Jackson 5, Roxy Music and David Bowie). The Runaways, however, were probably the one that band that she loved the most.
Kim got her first guitar and amp for her 18th birthday. In actuality, these were purchased as a 30-day rental, probably due to the fact that her parents knew that Kim's attention span for things was probably less than reliable during her adolescence. Soon after she received it, Kim's little Fender Champ amplifier was promptly blown out by Kurt and Al (Kurt's younger brother, and future frontman of My Favorite Martian). But Kim stuck with the guitar, mostly because of the Runaways, but also because of the Ramones (when all is said and done, the Ramones and Queen are the two bands that really made the Fastbacks possible). With the Ramones and the Runaways, Kim found bands that in her estimation were not very good at their instruments, but who were getting popular. She figured she could do it too. Her first impression of the Ramones debut LP, however, was less than earth shattering. She remembers hearing Rodney Bingenheimer describe the first Ramones LP as a 'speed trip on vinyl'. But when she put it on for the first time, she didn't hear any guitar solos. Back then, the rock music she loved always had guitar solos. She vividly remembers moving the needle from her record player and skipping from song to song, trying to find a guitar solo. None would be found. Eventually, however, the record began to sink in, and she took a fondness to it's simplicity and irreverence. To this day Dee Dee Ramone remains her biggest influence as a bass player. Kim has never cared for playing complicated bass lines, and in Dee Dee Ramone she found the basics she loved about playing bass. She never has, and never will care about playing anything more, or anything less, than that which is simple and direct.
Once Kim started listening to punk, she would attend all the punk rock shows that came through town. According to Kurt, the litmus test for a Seattle punker was whether or not he/she attended the Ramones show at the Olympic Hotel (later to be the Four Seasons Hotel). Kim and Lulu were at this show, Kurt was not. Kim remembers also going to see bands from England such as Magazine and the Buzzcocks. The loudest show she ever saw was the Clash at the Paramount Theater during the Give 'Em Enough Rope tour. She remembers sneaking up the fire escape to get into the show (a common practice for admission to shows and movies for all three Fastbacks). She also remembers laughing at Mick Jones when he told her that the next Clash record would be a double album. To her, no punk band would ever make a double album. She thought he was joking! Little did she know that he was talking about what was to be London Calling.
The first band Kim ever played in was a new wave punk band called the Radios. This was her first exposure to playing bass (her first bass was a Gibson Ripper). The Radios are mostly notable due to her inclusion, as well as the fact that the drummer, Chris Utting (later Criss Crass), would go on to join L.A. pop punkers The Muffs.
MICHILU SUZETTE GARGIULO - Born in Seattle at N.W. Hospital, 10/12/60
Robert Gargiulo was a merchant marine stationed in Japan when he met his future wife Michiyo. They ended up moving to the Pacific Northwest and starting a family. Lulu is the youngest of 3 kids, with an older sister (Maria) and brother (Tony). Comprising of half Japanese and half Italian ancestry (with also a mixture of Swedish, French and Irish blood) the Gargiulo household was a modest blue collar family. Robert was a streamroller operator who paved asphalt, while Michiyo became a waitress after Lulu was born. Although her parents were very affectionate people, they also had their own dysfunctions which ultimately led to Lulu becoming an extremely independent person. This DIY ethic would prove itself both an asset and detriment in the years to come.
Although younger than Kurt and Kim, Lulu began her musical studies before either of them. She took classical guitar lessons at the age of 7 (which she refers to as lessons in 'Pauper' music) which mostly centered around scales and music theory. As we would discover later, her learning scales on the guitar would prove practically useless as it pertained to her role in the Fastbacks. Lulu also took night school group lessons in folk guitar with her cousin Shannon Wood (Lulu's best friend during childhood who only lived 12 blocks away, as did most of Lulu's relatives on her fathers side). After these lessons ended, Lulu didn't really practice or continue playing guitar with very much enthusiasm. In fact, once she joined the Fastbacks, playing the guitar was just like learning from scratch all over again. She remembered how to play open A, E, and D chords, but bar chords were unfamiliar to her. Lulu's first electric was purchased just prior to the formation of the Fastbacks. It was a crappy sounding Moserite copy which she played through a little Fender Champ.
In school, Lulu tended to get into trouble often for talking in class. She also had an advanced fashion sense, often incorporating suspenders and big hats into her daily outfits. She also had somewhat of a big afro. Her favorite class in high school was photography, a class she was able to take for 2 consecutive years. After her first semester of photography, Lulu stopped attending the lectures and would immediately head for the darkroom, much to the dismay of her teacher, Mr. Hoy. She also used to bring in a little portable tape player to class and listen to loud music while working in the darkroom. To say Lulu was a character would be an understatement. At the time she met Kurt, she wasn't really into hard rock, but liked music more along the lines of teeny bopper pop music. But the bands she had in common with Kurt were Queen and The Ramones, and she would often come to photography classto develop pictures she took at rock shows, which would inevitably lead her to meeting Kurt.
After Lulu graduated from high school, she moved to Portland to work at a racetrack (Portland Meadows). Her job involved caring for and cleaning up after the horses. With aspirations to become a jockey, Lulu lived out of the stables and worked 7 days a week (starting at 5am). She did this for about 6 months and then moved back to Seattle. In Seattle, she worked at another racetrack (Longacres). After she finally quit a few months later, Lulu ended up renting a house with Kim and another friend Randy "you're so full of fire" Fehr.
THE CHEATERS
Formed the summer of 1978, The Cheaters were Kurt's first real band. Previous to that point, he had tried unsuccessfully to put together a band that would actually do anything. The Cheaters consisted of Kurt on guitar, Al Bloch on bass, Scott Dittman on vocals, and Dave Shumate (pronounced Shoe-mate) on drums. Scott was someone who just wanted to be in a 'punk rock' band. He was a boy who loved to act New York tough; dressed in straight legged jeans, leather jacket and sunglasses, he tried to be as punk as possible. In contrast, Dave was just someone who wanted to be in a band. Not exactly a fan or follower of punk rock, Dave sacrificed his personal musical tastes just to be part of a band. Just a year apart, Kurt and Al both grew up loving rock music and learning instruments together. Collectively, the four of them created a band that was "1/3 Sex Pistols, 1/3 Blue Oyster Cult, and 1/3 terrible."
The Cheaters were a band that didn't really know what they were doing. The one thing they all had in common was a desire to be in a band. As a result, they learned how to be a band by hanging out and trying to play together. No one knew how to write songs, let alone proficiently play their instrument. In order to write songs, they would sit around in the basement of the Bloch house, play some chords and have Scott sing something over the progression. There was no defined vocal melody, there was no mapped out chorus or bridge, it was all impromptu since they weren't even aware of what these devices were to begin with. The first Cheaters original was a song entitled, "Johnny Get Your Gun". Eventually, after many practices and learning what worked and what didn't work, the Cheaters managed to put together a set of originals and covers that would comprise their set list. Some of the covers included Cars and Girls by the Dictators, and the Red and the Black by Blue Oyster Cult. The original songs would eventually be credited to the band on their first and only single, but they were usually individual compositions that had limited contributions from other members.
With the Cheaters, Kurt was able to learn what he could do, and what he couldn't do when it came to being in a band. In many ways, the Cheaters were a learning experience for all of its members. As the only band from Nathan Hale that actually got their shit together (somewhat), they got 'good' enough to play shows at the Bird (the first northwest punk rock club of the late 70's) and other local venues. Kurt remembers doing all sorts of stupid things in the Cheaters, such as gluing forks and knives to his guitar because he thought it would look funny. Little did he realize that when he would play, the guitar would cut up his arm. On another occasion, he thought it would be funny to play guitar with the back edge of a wood saw (ala Jimmy Page and the violin bow). At the show he just thought, "fuck it," and proceeded to cut off all his strings with the blade side of the saw. It was funny, but after he did it the show was over, he didn't have an extra set of strings or a back-up guitar. The best laid plans . . . The other members of the band didn't fare much better than Kurt. At one show, Scott threw hot dogs at the audience. Well, that was funny, but what was funnier was that the audience threw the hot dogs right back at the band. The stage got cluttered with hot dogs. It is rumored that this treachery led to at least one member slipping on these pork pythons.
The Cheaters stayed together for a little over a year. They broke up in the Fall of 1979 after a farewell Halloween show. In the words of Kurt, "the Cheaters were pretty ambitious for how terrible we were."
NO THREES RECORDS
What started out as a bad joke turned into what became the No Threes record label. One day Kurt and some friends were altering a "NO LEFT TURN" street sign they had acquired. They painted out the left turn arrow and placed a big "3" in it's place. For some reason, they decided that it was so funny that it had to be the insignia they would use if they ever released a record. No significance should be placed on the number 3, it was a completely random choice.
Well, as word tends to travel fast, a band from Bellingham called The Accident caught wind of the No Threes concept. They asked Kurt if they could release a single on 'his label'. He tried to explain to them that it wasn't really a label to begin with, and that nothing had been released at that point. Regardless, the Accident were a bunch of go-getters, and so they funded a 7" for the No Threes label. The Accident's "Kill the Bee Gees" b/w "True Detective" (N3-001) was released in 1979. No Threes was officially born.
Not shortly thereafter (October 1979), the Cheaters released the second No Threes 7", featuring three songs ("Man As Hunter" b/w "I Talk To You"/"(How Would You Like To Be The) Ice Man?"). All three songs were recorded at Triangle Studios in Seattle (located near the Fremont/Ballard area. It later turned into Reciprocal and then John and Stu's.). Kurt recalls finishing the sessions the same day that the Talking Heads played a show at the Egyptian Theater. He left the studio, snuck into the show and even taped it. One thousand copies of the Cheaters single were pressed, but only 600-700 would be available for purchase. 300-400 copies had to be sent back to the pressing plant due to poor labeling and manufacturing problems. A few weeks after they were sent back, the pressing plant went out of business. To add insult to injury, no refund was sent either.
No Threes would last until the early 90's, and the discography would end up looking something like this:
N3-001: The Accident - Kill the Bee Gees b/w True Detective
N3-002: The Cheaters - Man As Hunter b/w I Talk To You & (How Would You Like To Be The) Ice Man?
N3-004 (no 3): The Vains (featuring Duff McKagan and Criss Crass) - The Fake/The Loser/School Jerks (both sides were marked Side B)
N3-005: The Fastbacks - It's Your Birthday b/w You Can't Be Happy
N3-006: The Fastbacks - Play Five Of Their Favorites EP
N3-007: Silly Killers - Not That Time Again/Knife Manual/Social Bitch/Sissie Faggots
N3-008: The Fastbacks - Every Day Is Saturday EP
N3-009 (in cooperation with the Steve Priest Fan Club): The Fastbacks - In the Summer/You Can't Be Happy (89)/Queen of Eyes
N3-010: Pure Joy - Sore Throat Ded Goat EP
N3-011: The Fastbacks - Very, Very Powerful Motor LP (released on Popllama, but originally slated for this No Threes catalog number)
N3-012C: The Fastbacks - Bike, Toy, Clock, Gift (cassette)
THE ORIGINS OF THE FASTBACKS
Kim, Shannon and Kurt all graduated from high school in 1977. Lulu was a year behind. During the summer between her junior and senior year, Lulu began dating Scott Dittman. Kim had actually dated Scott when she was in the 9th grade. Kim met Lulu through their mutual friend Shannon Wood, and when Kim found out that Lulu was dating Scott, their acquaintance became more of a friendship. Kim would invite Lulu over to go swimming, and they would hang out at her house and go driving around in her mother's Grand Turino. Once the Cheaters got together, Kim and Lulu would go watch their rehearsals and then drive around with everyone afterwards. At that time, Kim was seeing Cheaters drum Dave Shumate (whom later would date Lulu). Eventually, even Al and Kim started seeing each other. (My Fastbacks conspiracy theory is that the reason they have been able to stay together as a band for so long is because Kurt was the only member of the Cheaters that Kim never dated.)
Anyway, everyone in their circle was very close. They would all spend the bulk of their time together. Eventually Dave quit the Cheaters (but he would come back at the end) and a drummer by the name of James Gascoigne took his place. Since the Cheaters would practice in the basement of the Bloch house, James would leave his drum kit there. Kurt had always thought it would be super fun to learn how to play drums, and since he had a drum kit in his own house, he started banging on Gascoigne's drums. In his own words, "who wouldn't want to play drums?" But according to Lulu, she was the actual instigator behind forming the Fastbacks.
Kim, Kurt, Lulu and Shannon would frequently go to a club in Edmonds called the King Theater. One night, Lulu remembers seeing a band there that was so bad, that she told Kim, Kurt and Shannon that they were starting a band. Lulu knew they could play way better the band she was hearing. Thus spawned the Fastbacks.
The Fastbacks original line-up:
Shannon Wood - Vocals
Kim Warnick - Bass
Lulu Gargiulo - Guitar
Kurt Bloch - Drums
At the time the Fastbacks formed (Fall of 1979), Kim was the most accomplished and proficient member on her instrument. Kurt had just started to play drums and Lulu was beginning the process of re-learning how to play guitar. Shannon's ability as a singer would never be witnessed beyond their rehearsal space, she was to leave the band prior to the first show. Evidently, Shannon had such a problem with stage fright, that it even pervaded their practices. She would either force everyone not to look at her while she sang, or she'd go out on the steps of the basement to sing. When it came time for a show, she bowed out because she was terrified at the thought of singing in front of people. Although Lulu did not know how to sing, she stepped up to the plate to replace Shannon. At the time, Kim was also scared at the notion of singing in front of people, but that would later change.
According to Kurt, the early Fastbacks were "way worse than the Cheaters." But while the tired old cliché of 'musical differences' inevitably led to the demise of the Cheaters, the Fastbacks were just having fun trying to learn and play their instruments. Kim, Kurt, and Lulu vividly remember this early incarnation of the Fastbacks as just being a sickening and terrible band, never in tune and barely listenable. Lulu thinks that some people may have liked them strictly because they were so bad. The Fastbacks played their first show (with Lulu on lead vocals and lead/rhythm guitar) on February 16, 1980 at the Laurelhurst Recreation Center (with the Vains and Psychopop (early PopDefect)). Their set list consisted of mostly cover songs, with maybe an original or two thrown into the mix. Some of the covers they learned included such punk numbers as "Stay Free" by the Clash and "I Don't Mind" by the Buzzcocks, as well as more candy pop songs like Tommy Roe's "Dizzy", and "Down At Lulu's" by the Ohio Express. Attendance was pretty good, with most of their friends coming, as well as the friends of the other bands. Kurt remembers trying really hard to rock, but at the same time just being absolutely horrible (tapes of their first show do exist.) The first Fastbacks original was a Kurt song entitled, "Real People," but it is unclear whether it was debuted at this first show. Kurt believes there is a demo of "Real People" somewhere, but that it is a "TERRIBLE" song.
Shortly around their first show, Kim decided that the Fastbacks should play the old Cheaters song, "Man As Hunter," and that she wanted to sing it. It would later turn out to be the first giant step in the gradual improvement of the band. Lulu's admits to not being able to sing well at all. With Kim at vocals, the Fastbacks began writing more new material and learning new covers. Their first demo session was conducted in the front room of Lulu and Kim's house on February 28, 1980. Their roommate, Randy Fehr, had a reel to reel recorder which they used to demo 3 songs.
Around the same time the Cheaters disbanded and the Fastbacks got together, Al Bloch started another band with Dave Shumate and Randy Fehr called Wenis. It is interesting to note that The Fastbacks would later record covers of two Wenis songs (The Right Thing and Wait It Out). Kurt was also getting a lot of crap about the Fastbacks from people he knew. They were just wondering why he was wasting his time with such a shitty band while other people were starting 'serious' bands. Ironic that the Fastbacks would prove to have more staying power and recognition than any of their early peers. Kurt attests this longevity due to the fact that everyone was having fun in the early Fastbacks. They all loved music, they all loved playing music, and none of them really cared what other people thought. In Lulu's head, she was more worried about trying to play the right chord than she was that people were laughing at her.
The next Fastbacks demo recordings would take place in August of 1980. Kurt's childhood buddy, Len Skersies, had an 8-track recorder in his basement that he let them use for these sessions. In the liner notes to the Question is No, Kurt writes, "It was hot out. We had no idea what we were doing. It's probably good we didn't. Things were funnier back then." Out of this session came 8 songs: Don't Eat That It's Poison, Someone Else's Room, Was Late, Bus Stop, Cowboy Song, Another Thing Coming, I Don't Mind, and I Wanna Be With You. Of these demos, only Don't Eat That It's Poison would find itself 'released' (on a K Records compilation called "Let's Sea" and then later on The Question Is No). Someone Else's Room and Was Late would later be re-recorded and released in other forms. Bus Stop and Cowboy Song are both unreleased Kurt originals. Another Thing Coming was actually written by Kim and Lulu, because back then they used to contribute original compositions. And the last two songs were Buzzcocks and Raspberries covers.
DUFF
Enter future Guns N' Roses bassist Duff McKagan. Although younger than any of the Fastbacks (15 years old), he was already playing in tons of local bands. Duff attended an alternative high school, one that allowed him to pretty much define his own curriculum. Since Kim was 18, she could sign his class credit slips for his 'music' class. One day he was over at Kim and Lulu's and the Fastbacks were about to practice. He asked if he could sit in on drums. They all agreed since there was an extra guitar there that Kurt could play (one has to wonder what Duff thought of the band at the time, or if we was trying to tell them something since Kurt was obviously a fairly skilled guitarist at that point). The practice ended up being a lot of fun, and so they asked him to join the band. The Fastbacks were beginning to take shape.
Line-Up circa 1980:
Kim Warnick - Bass and Vocals
Lulu Gargiulo - Guitar and Vocals
Kurt Bloch - Guitar
Duff McKagan - Drums
The first show with Duff on drums occurred on December 5, 1980 at the Gorilla Room. It didn't take long for this incarnation of the band to enter the studio. On January 20, 1981 they entered Triangle studios for their first real recording session (engineers and producers were Jack Weaver, Homer Spencer, and Neil Hubbard). Four songs were recorded that day: Someone Else's Room, Was Late, It's Your Birthday, and You Can't Be Happy. Someone Else's Room would find itself on the Engram Records 'Seattle Syndrome' compilation LP in 1981. Was Late would not find the light of day until 10 years later when the Blaster label in the U.K. re-released the early Fastbacks recordings for the Never Fails, Never Works LP. It's Your Birthday and You Can't Be Happy would be the two songs selected to represent the Fastbacks on their debut single.
One thousand copies of It's Your Birthday b/w You Can't Be Happy were pressed and released on the No Threes label in May of 1981. Of those thousand, Kurt may still have a few copies lying around. Each single was numbered on the inside sleeve and the label of the single introduces what would become Kurt Bloch's modest publishing empire, Energy House Music. There was also a separate insert included with the single that included lyrics and credits, along with a few early photos.
This first Fastbacks single would serve as a blue print for future Fastbacks songs. Each song has delicately constructed guitar passages, soaring harmonies, and jackhammer tempos. The Fastbacks would obviously get better at the performance and production side of things, but the songwriting in 1981 was already showing itself to be a unique mixture of pop, hard rock, and punk. It's interesting to listen to this single contrasted against some of their more recent work. While Kurt's style has definitely matured as both a songwriter and guitarist, and Kim's vocals have smoothed themselves out, the sound isn't very different at its core. Each song displays a maturity beyond it's own sophistication, at times complicated and epic, but also bouncy and catchy.
Duff would end up playing 10 Fastbacks show in total, including an opening slot for Joan Jett in March of 1981. Little did anyone realize at the time that Duff would only be the 2nd in a long line of drummers to grace the Fastbacks line-up (or that he would end up playing bass on the butt rock classic "Sweet Child of Mine"). Kurt's internship as the drummer had lasted barely a year, Duff's was to last less, as he found himself over committed to too many bands. He quit in July 1981, but would return later as their roadie on the Fastbacks first road trip tour in 1984.
(c) 1999 by Scott Lee/Hitlist. All right on.